In Retrospect
by PurpleRose15
Summary: On the first day of filming, Pam Beesly looked into the camera and said that she didn't want to be a receptionist. On the last day, Pam Halpert knew that things had changed, and not just her last name.
On the first day of filming, Pam Beesly looked into the camera and said that she didn't want to be a receptionist.

Or at least, that's what she hinted at. She actually said that no little girl had a dream that involved becoming a receptionist. When she had first started at Dunder Mifflin, she had assumed that being a receptionist would be about the most boring job you could ask for, minus the quirky interviewer who asked her for dating advice (who would turn out to be her boss). But hey, it put food on the table. And Roy was there, so they could at least be together.

But that was before she met Jim. She'd arrived early one day to see that Jim was already there. Impressed by his work ethic, she went inside to find him instead pushing Dwight's desk into the bathroom. She asked what he was up to and Jim was more than happy to fill her in. The rest was history.

She soon found another fun responsibility when Phyllis invited her to help plan office parties together. It wasn't much, but she got to get out of the office once in a while to buy party supplies. And they got to eat cake afterwards, so that was a bonus, right? When Angela joined the Dunder Mifflin team, she insisted on being part of their crew as well. This made party planning considerably less fun, but that was the day the Party Planning Committee was officially born.

And it wasn't like she was going to be a receptionist the entire time. She didn't know what prompted her to join the Michael Scott Paper Company, but it actually worked for the time being, and it led to a job in sales. When that didn't work out, she was able to take initiative and become their office manager. In that moment, she knew that her passive side was gone. She was in control and she was going to prove it.

The people themselves were another story. Angela wasn't all bad. She had the most ridiculous stories about cats that even Pam had to laugh at sometimes. And she did have her nice moments. Sort of. They'd even gone out for coffee once, although her personality didn't change despite what Pam was hoping.

She'd probably never meet a person like Dwight again. And despite what she might have thought, they were definitely friends in a sense. Where else would she have become friends with a kiss-up beet farmer? A kiss-up beet farmer who gave her and Jim generous severance packages for the sake of helping them out?

Kelly and Ryan were interesting in their own way. Where else would you see such a soap-opera romance play out at work? Phyllis and Nellie proved to be great friends, while people like Stanley and Toby often kept to themselves. Yet, everyone contributed to the dynamic in their own unique way.

And then there was Michael. You had to feel sorry for the guy, as much as he could be annoying. Pam knew that deep down she'd never have a better boss. But even Michael had to outgrow Dunder Mifflin at some point; now he was living his own dream with a woman he'd worked so hard for. He'd even showed up to the wedding this afternoon to wish Dwight and Angela well, and everyone was appreciative. Michael wasn't just their boss. He was their friend.

Of course, the most important was Jim. How much had they been through together? They were friends, then friends who had kissed, then friends who felt awkward around each other after the fact. When he started dating Karen, coming to work every day was the hardest thing she'd ever done. That was when she seriously started thinking about art school. Then she could get an interesting job, move away, and not have to think about what she was leaving behind.

If only she knew what being a receptionist would entail.

Otherwise, she'd never have met Jim. She would never have had Christmas parties or gotten a teapot for Secret Santa or sharpen her pranking skills or play volleyball at company picnics or have been married under a waterfall or participated in murder mysteries on company time. She wouldn't even have kids or a husband that she truly loved.

She owed everything she had to her "boring receptionist job."

After ten years, Pam was about to walk out of Dunder Mifflin Scranton for the very last time. Everyone was walking out at once, so she didn't even have time to take a look back. But as she stared at her painting on the wall, she knew she couldn't leave it behind. Michael had paid for this painting at an art show years ago. He wasn't just doing it to make her happy. He genuinely appreciated her talent- nobody else liked the sketches she'd done, during boring stretches of time at work. She twisted it off the wall and took it with her. But she knew Michael wouldn't have cared that she took it away. Now a part of her could accompany her to Texas.

Pam wasn't just leaving a job behind. She was leaving friends and memories.

But it wasn't all bad. In fact, life had never been better. Jim's new company was taking off big-time, and he was getting to live his dream. Cece and Philip were growing up way too fast, growing into lives of their own—making friends, starring in dance recitals, playing in Little League. And she heard that Austin had a couple new art galleries opening up, so maybe a job was waiting for her as well.

That evening, the parking lot was full of hugs and well-wishes. Those who hadn't already left for another job were about to, with the exception of Angela, Dwight, Meredith and Phyllis. It would be up to them to show the newcomers how things worked. As much as Pam wouldn't mind sticking around to see how things played out, she knew that the time had come for bigger things.

She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, Pam. I just wanted to wish you luck," said Angela. The wedding had certainly changed her for the better; she had a genuine smile on her face. As they hugged, Angela murmured, "My apologies for being so rude." Typical Angela fashion…formal and stuffy. Yet, _pleasant_ this time around. Although she was happier with Dwight, part of her personality would never change.

At that moment, Pam heard the honk of a horn behind her. She broke apart from Angela and went to join Jim in the car.

She said she didn't want to be a receptionist. As the lights of Dunder Mifflin gradually got dimmer driving away, there was nothing she would miss more.

 **Hello, beautiful people. I was feeling a little nostalgic and decide to turn out this little piece. It's not much of a story as it is a retrospective (as the title states), but it was fun to write anyway. I'm not expecting this to be the most popular piece on FanFiction but a favorite, review, or whatever would be appreciated! And why not check out my other Office piece, Redemption? It needs a little more love!**


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